Many residents are angry at the proposals to knock down the rear
of the building - which houses a fully functioning stage and art deco interior - to make way for a car park

A new petition has been set up to stop Flutters Bingo Hall in Hinckley being demolished and turned into a car park.

Many residents are angry at the proposals, put forward by applicant Andrew Tyler, to knock down the rear
of the building - which houses a fully functioning stage and art deco interior - to make way for a car park to serve the proposed food retail store, thought to be Iceland, which has already been granted planning approval.

It comes at the same time that Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council are pushing ahead with plans for a £80 million bus station redevelopment in the town centre, which adjoins the bingo hall site.

The art deco building was constructed in 1929 and was originally used as a theatre before turning into a cinema.

Darran
Brown, who owns Indigo Home on Regent Street, has set up a new Facebook
page, called Save the Regent which already has more than 300 likes, and
a petition to try and save the building.

He
said: “I have been on the case for a few weeks now. This is something that should be kept for future generations. It’s one of the last remaining art deco buildings in Leicestershire.

“It’s a beautiful building and it’s got loads of heritage - it’s not something that should be turned into a car park.”

Darran has proposed the building could be turned into a venue for weddings and live music events.

He added: “We want the building to be something that brings people to Hinckley and that encourages the night time economy.

“There is nowhere else in Hinckley that could hold more than 100 or 200 people like this.

“We
know it can be done because The Atkins Building was saved and has merged old and new. The building only closed in June so it is still structurally sound.

“The councillors need to listen to what the people of Hinckley want and we don’t want to see this building knocked down. This is our last chance to make it a community facility rather than a corporate space.

“We are open to ideas and offers to save the building and we would like anybody with pictures or videos to email or drop them off at Indigo Home, as we are making a promo video.”

George
Denny, who recently vowed to bring back The Bounty in Hinckley, previously expressed interest in buying the bingo hall. He said: “As Hinckley developed and flourished over the years some very iconic and beautiful buildings were erected in the town, making it what it was and is.

“These cornerstones of Hinckley’s prosperous and memorable times were one-offs creating personality, diversity and adding unique character to the town and surrounding areas and are irreplaceable in the fact that if you attempted to put a planning application in to build the bingo hall today the modern building regulations would not permit it.

“You will never see this building again. The asset to the town this building offers is beyond a car park and I believe its uniqueness could be worth its weight as it is in any modern scheme,”

The application promises to keep the shops on Rugby Road and the front of the building on the corner of Rugby Road and Lancaster Road, which were all planned to be destroyed in a previous application in 2011.

The
plans show the car park will have 42 parking spaces, three disabled spaces and two spaces for goods delivery vans and access will be from Lancaster Road. Flutters is not a listed building.

It is understood Mr Tyler, who is the owner of the building, is open to offers.

Petition forms can be found in Indigo Home, Coffee Rio, Home Comforts and Hinckley Exchange.

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